Coffee with City Manager Seeks Transparency Ideas from Palm Bay
The next Coffee with City Manager session focuses on defining transparency. The question is: what key policy ideas will residents propose to City Hall?
Palm Bay, FL – The City of Palm Bay continues its commitment to open governance with the next session of Coffee with City Manager Matthew Morton. This community gathering is not a standard, formal government meeting. Instead, it is an informal listening session dedicated to one crucial and timely topic: transparency. City Manager Morton is specifically inviting residents to help shape the City’s approach to open and accountable governance. Consequently, the session serves as a direct, unmediated channel for public input on how the City shares vital information.
Fostering Dialogue with the Coffee with City Manager
The City is seeking community input to articulate specific, actionable ideas for reform. This focus encourages residents to move beyond general feedback and into concrete suggestions. Furthermore, the informal setting helps reduce the barriers often associated with formal public comment periods. The City wants to hear thoughts on how to better communicate, involve the public, and ensure initiatives reflect the values of openness.
The city’s official statement notes: “The City of Palm Bay is continuing its commitment to open government with the next installment of its Coffee with the City Manager series, this time, with a new focus.”
Date: Tuesday, November 25
Time: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Location: Palm Bay City Hall (120 Malabar Road SE)
The session revolves around the following core questions posed to all attendees:
What does transparency mean to you?
What ideas do you have to increase transparency from City Hall?
Specifically, input is sought on how the City shares data, how information is presented, and how the City engages with residents during key projects. If residents have ever had a suggestion about making day-to-day operations more transparent, this is the definitive place to speak up.
Understanding the City Manager’s Unique Role
Palm Bay operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The elected City Council determines policy, passes ordinances, and establishes the overall vision. Therefore, the City Manager is the appointed chief executive who translates these policies into action and manages all administrative staff.
These “Coffee” sessions offer citizens direct access to the administrator who oversees the daily delivery of municipal services. Past events, for instance, have yielded appreciation for improved maintenance efforts in areas like lot line ditch care. However, the utility of these sessions relies heavily on the quality of feedback received. The City must demonstrate that it integrates this community input into tangible, lasting operational improvements. This direct, consistent dialogue aims to strengthen connections between the administration and the public it serves.
Looking Ahead to Accountable Governance
The deliberate focus on governance and transparency highlights a priority for Palm Bay’s administration. City officials encourage residents to join the conversation and contribute to this critical effort. Discussions about how we handle information, engage the public, and reflect community values are vital to the city’s health. Ultimately, the success of this session will be measured by how well the City Manager and his staff integrate this public perspective into a more open and accountable government for the entire Palm Bay community.
Let’s start by envisioning a meeting that works really well; and more specifically, what would the city be doing differently for you to call it “more transparent”?